At The Beginning
by yintotheyang
Summary: Part 1 of the Living In A Moment series.
1. Running

A/N - Okay, this is my third story. It is a different version of how Johnny and Lulu met. It will be short and the entire story takes place in one night. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and as always I would love a review!!! I hope you like it!

**Chapter 1 – Running **

"Stop following me!" Lulu screamed at the top of her lungs.

As if Logan cheating with Maxie wasn't bad enough, he had to follow Lulu all around town. Moping, whining and begging her to listen. He was obviously a slow learner. Lulu had punched him in the nose, kicked him in the knee and spit in his face. None of which had gotten the message through to him.

"Lulu, I love you," Logan insisted. "Please just give me another chance. I want to make it up to you."

"Really?" Lulu asked. "Which part do you want to make up to me? The lying or the cheating? Or how about the humiliation I feel because I was nothing but a joke to you and Maxie this whole time?"

"It may have started that way, bu-" Logan's repentance speech was cut off by Lulu's palm connecting with his cheek.

"I've heard enough, Logan," she seethed. "No matter what you say, I will never forgive you. It's over. Stay the hell away from me."

"Lulu, please," Logan begged.

"You don't have the right to ask me for anything," Lulu said. "I would say go to hell, but even that's too nice a place for you."

Lulu walked away again and this time, Logan didn't follow. Finally. She was getting away from him after an afternoon of being chased by "I'm sorry"s and "It won't happen again"s. Although she had no idea where she was going. She was just walking away. Away from Logan. Away from Port Charles.

Away from the crazy idea that love existed.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Stay close," Trevor warned. "Your father wants to see you shortly."

"What does he want?" Johnny asked.

Trevor was nothing but a manipulator. Johnny was aware of it, but he had no means of taking away Trevor's power. Not when his father trusted him so much. It wasn't that Johnny wanted the power. He just didn't want Trevor to have it. He wanted to go back to a time when his father wasn't mentally unstable. A time when his mother was still alive.

"I don't know," Trevor answered and was obviously lying. "Just to see you."

Johnny just nodded and rolled his eyes. Anthony Zacchara got everything he wanted. He wants to see his son, he sees him. He wants his son held prisoner in the family home, he is bound and shackled. Not tonight though. Johnny wanted to get away and he would. After seeing his father, Johnny planned on heading towards his favorite camping spot. The place that no one but him knew he existed. Not his handlers, not Trevor and, most importantly, not his father. Johnny needed a night by himself away from the hell that he called life and tonight was going to be that night.

"Johnny!" Anthony boomed from inside his office.

"Yes?" Johnny answered walking into the room.

"My boy," Anthony said softly. "Your mother would love to see how much you've grown."

"Too bad you shot her," Johnny muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Anthony questioned.

"Nothing," Johnny answered. "Did you need something?"

"Just to see you," Anthony replied. "And to make sure you know that the time is quickly approaching."

"What time?" Johnny asked.

"The time for you to take over as head of the family," Anthony responded. "I will soon begin to teach you about the business, so you can be in charge after I die."

"I don't want to be in charge," Johnny said defiantly. "I've told you before that I want nothing to do with it."

"If I wanted your opinions considered I would ask for them," Anthony screamed. "Now get out!"

Johnny just sighed and walked out of the room. He slipped past the guards that were supposed to keep him in the house and reached his car. He got in the car and slowly backed out of the drive. Once his tires hit the pavement of the highway, he sped off as quickly as the car would take him in the direction of his campsite.

Johnny drove down the road wondering to himself if this was the last time he would ever get to go out camping. It wouldn't if he had it his way, but that rarely happened. Johnny almost never got what he wanted. Johnny didn't want any part of the business that only contained death and violence. But Anthony wanted him to take control and Johnny knew it was inevitable.

Anthony Zacchara got everything he wanted.


	2. The Tent

**Chapter 2 – The Tent**

Johnny allowed himself to smile as he walked up to the familiar secluded area. His car was parked about a mile away and all he had with him was his tent. He walked to the center of the small area and set down the tent. Looking to the sky, Johnny realized his moonlight would be hidden by clouds soon. He quickly began assembling the tent.

Once the tent was up, Johnny gathered some wood for a fire. Johnny moved effortlessly through the woods and couldn't help but be a little happy. It had been so long since his last escape and he was glad to get away. He thought briefly of the consequences when he returned, but put the thought out of his mind. All he wanted to do was enjoy the time he had. Although, being alone wasn't that enjoyable, it was more enjoyable than being trapped.

He finished gathering the wood and made his fire. He considered getting the rest of his supplies from his car, but decided against it. He was enjoying the smell of a fire and the outdoors. Reveling in the opportunity to think without interruption. To think of his future. What he wanted versus what he would get. At times he wondered why he even bothered to dream about a life outside of the Zacchara compound. Probably because that was the one thing his mother instilled in him that had stuck. To always dream.

His thoughts were broken by a raindrop landing on his head. He groaned in frustration. The weather was against him. He stomped out the fire and headed for the tent. He heard the rain increase and he sat down in the middle of the tent. Alone. Just like always.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lulu had been walking for what seemed like miles. She was in a part of Port Charles she had never been before. The sensible side of her was screaming at her for walking through the woods alone at night. The Spencer in her was loving the danger of the situation. The rush from doing something a little bit crazy.

Although she may have been in danger, Lulu's biggest problem on her mind was being lost. She had been at the overlook for awhile before heading into the woods. She didn't know what was leading her originally, but whatever it was had gone. She was treading aimlessly and her legs were starting to hurt. All of the weight from the day seemed to be catching up with her.

She found a tree branch to sit on and she tried to relax. Tried to forget all about her horrible day. Forget how she had fallen victim to one of the most hurtful things she could ever imagine. Lulu couldn't help but wonder how many people had known about the bet. How many people back home were laughing at her pain right now? She felt the anger surge through her once again and she stood up and began walking again.

She was moving more quickly now, but she didn't know if she was going deeper into the woods or back towards Port Charles. She also didn't know which option she was rooting for. She liked the possibility of leaving Port Charles and never looking back. To get away permanently from all of the pain she had suffered in that town.

She heard the rain begin to fall around her and tears fell from her eyes. She was lost, hurt and wet. The rain was coming down really hard and she began to run. She assumed that eventually she would find something. An abandoned cabin or maybe a road where she could hitch a ride. She thought she saw a break in the trees to her right, so she headed for it. Lulu breathed a sigh of relief as she spotted a tent in the middle of the clearing.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Johnny had been listening to the rain with his eyes closed. Lost in its melody as it hit the tent, trees and ground. He remembered how much he used to love the rain when his mother was alive. When the rain would keep them indoors, his mother would tell him stories about how the rain always brought miracles. She would tell him that if you listened closely, each drop told a story of someone's happiness. It was her way of turning even the rain of a dreary day into something fun.

He found himself imagining the drops speaking to him, but he couldn't find happiness. All he found was heartbreak and misery. He desperately wanted to be able to find something good in this situation. Like his mom would have.

Suddenly, he heard a sound different than the rain. It almost sounded like someone was knocking on his tent. He thought he was imagining it, but it was persistent. When he heard a zipping sound, he opened his eyes. A soaking wet girl stepped into the tent and zipped it shut behind her. She turned slowly to face him and she took his breath away. Even rain-soaked, she was the most beautiful woman Johnny had ever seen. She gasped when she saw him, apparently unaware of his presence before.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," she replied.

Maybe the rain did give miracles.


	3. Nice To Meet You

**Chapter 3 – Nice to Meet You**

Lulu just stared at the man in front of her. She had obviously been wrong in her assumption that this was an abandoned tent. However, the guy wasn't yelling at his intruder, but staring at her the same way she was staring at him. With intrigue. Of course his intrigue was probably wondering why she was so wet and standing in his tent. Her intrigue was different.

Lulu couldn't keep her eyes from raking his body, but she stopped herself from repeating the act even though she wanted to. He was probably the most perfectly built man she had ever seen and his face left nothing to be desired. She tried to remind herself that all men were scum, but something inside her had been comforted by his presence. It must have been a coincidence. Being in this gorgeous man's presence was not the reason her outlook on life had suddenly improved, it was the fact that she had gotten out of the rain.

"Um, I'm Johnny," the man said, offering his hand.

"Lulu," she breathed shaking his hand.

She tried to ignore the spark she felt as their skin met and instead focus on his face. His brown eyes were smoldering with intensity and full of questions. His hair was slightly misplaced and she wondered if he had been caught in the rain earlier. He repeatedly opened and closed his mouth like he didn't know what to say. She decided to talk about the elephant in the tent.

"Sorry I broke in to your tent," Lulu said, laughing nervously.

"It's okay," Johnny replied with a genuine smile. "Sorry you didn't find me sooner."

"What?" Lulu questioned.

"I just meant that it looks like you were out in the rain for awhile," Johnny explained. "If you had found me sooner, maybe you wouldn't be soaked."

"Oh, well, luck is hardly ever on my side," Lulu responded looking towards the ground.

She tried to remind herself that the man, Johnny, that she was in the tent with could have been a crazy murderer. Why did she feel so safe? The feeling was ridiculous and she needed to shake it before she made herself an easy target for someone else to hurt.

"Are you lost?" Johnny wondered.

"Yes and no," Lulu answered.

"I don't want to pry, but what does that mean?" Johnny asked.

"I know that I'm in the woods outside of Port Charles," Lulu replied. "I have no idea how deep or what direction Port Charles is."

"Are you trying to get back?" Johnny wondered.

"Trying to get away," Lulu said honestly unable to keep from telling him the truth.

"Well, you're away now," Johnny offered with a smile. "And it's not much, but it's dry. If you want to stay, I don't mind."

"Seriously?" Lulu wondered. "You don't even know me."

"And honestly, I would normally throw a visitor to my tent out on their ass," Johnny laughed. "Rain or no rain."

"What makes me different?" Lulu prodded.

"I don't know yet," Johnny said with a smirk that Lulu could only describe as sexy. "But I want to figure it out."

Lulu couldn't help but laugh softly. She felt the same way. Had she stumbled into any other tent and found someone inside, she would have headed back into the rain. But Johnny. He had an effect on her and she wanted to know more about him. Johnny seemed to be feeling the same way and Lulu decided to give in to the danger.

"Okay," Lulu replied with a smile. "I'll stay."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Johnny had a strange feeling. A _**good, **_strange feeling. He wondered if it was happiness. No, he decided. But this girl made him feel better than he had in a long time. Lulu. She made him feel different instantly and Johnny hoped she could feel it too, whatever it was. Some kind of strange connection between them had formed and Johnny couldn't keep himself from wanting to hold onto it. A connection to someone outside of the craziness that he called life was something Johnny had always wanted. This was his chance.

"I should go get some things from my car," Johnny said softly.

"Oh, okay," Lulu responded. "I could go with you."

"No, you don't have to," Johnny replied. "You're wet enough."

"I know and you're dry," Lulu pointed out. "In fact, I should go instead of you."

Johnny couldn't keep himself from laughing. Lulu, while beautiful nonetheless, was dripping in the tent from being so wet. Yet she offered to go into the rain again with him, which was ridiculous. He felt a strange need to protect her and that included protecting her from the pneumonia she would catch if she went out in the rain again.

"Why are you laughing?" Lulu asked, with a hint of anger, only fueling Johnny's laughter.

"You," Johnny managed in response.

"What the hell did I do that is so funny?" Lulu wondered.

"You're not going back in the rain," Johnny answered, once he stifled his laughter. "One, you're already soaked to the bone and going out there would get you sick. Two, you don't know where my car is and obviously you get lost easily. Three, I would never give anybody the keys to my car for any reason, especially not to a stranger who is trying to escape their life."

"Is there a four or are you done?" Lulu asked, obviously annoyed.

"Four," Johnny said with a smile. "Angry and annoyed looks good on you. But I am sorry for laughing at you. If it makes it better, I don't have the chance to laugh too often, so being able to felt really good."

"I guess you're forgiven," Lulu muttered. "And just for the record, I do not get lost easily. This is a first for me."

"Me too," Johnny agreed, but meaning something different.

This was the first time since his mother had died that Johnny really felt free. Like nothing could hold him. He couldn't ignore the complete feeling he got when Lulu entered the tent. The feeling was happiness and he had not idea why Lulu made him feel that way.

"Well get going then," Lulu laughed.

"I won't be long," Johnny promised before heading out into the rain.

"I'll be waiting," she assured.

Johnny couldn't keep the smile off his face, even in the heavy rain that now surrounded him as he made his way to his car as quickly as possible. Lulu was such a mystery to him and he wanted to uncover as much as he could in the time he had. He wanted to know the little things about her as much as he wanted to know the major events in her life. Honestly, he wanted to hear whatever she felt like telling him.

Johnny found himself hoping the rain wouldn't stop. When the rain stopped, Lulu would leave and that idea did not appeal to him.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Where is he?" Trevor barked into the phone.

Johnny was again missing from Crimson Pointe and Trevor was tired of keeping up with him. He had called Johnny's guards only to come up empty. Apparently, Johnny had given them the slip and left the house without being followed and now they couldn't pick up his trail. All of which Trevor found unacceptable.

"I can take care of Anthony until morning," Trevor yelled. "You find him by then and bring him home or losing your job will be the least of your worries."

Trevor hung up the phone and sighed before turning and walking out of the Zacchara study. He gathered several guards and told them of the situation with Johnny. He sent them in search of Johnny and told them to coordinate with the other guards to widen the search. Trevor took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Where are you Johnny?" he wondered out loud. "Haven't you learned your lesson about the bad things that happen when you run away?"


	4. Details

A/N – So this is the longest chapter of this story yet! I know many have been curious about what Johnny was going to do with Lulu and her wet clothes and offered to give suggestions. I hope you like what I came up with! I hope you enjoy and please leave a review!

**Chapter 4 - Details**

Lulu sat in the tent waiting for Johnny to come back. It hadn't been long, but she was already missing him for some reason. She didn't like being alone in the cold and rain, but she hated being alone in the tent. She had felt so calm and safe when Johnny had been there, but now that she was alone she felt trapped and anxious. She heard a noise and was relieved to see Johnny coming into the tent. A slightly damper Johnny than she remembered.

"Sorry it took so long," Johnny muttered, carrying in a large bag.

"It's okay," Lulu said smiling. "What's in the bag?"

"Well, I put everything in this one bag because it is waterproof," Johnny explained. "So it's basically all of your normal camping gear."

"So, what's in the bag?" Lulu asked, laughing.

"What?" Johnny questioned, slightly confused.

"I don't think I've ever been camping, so I have no idea what all the normal camping gear is," Lulu answered.

"Oh, okay," Johnny said with a smile. "It's just a sleeping bag and a pillow. A lantern and some bug spray, which we will need whenever the rain stops."

"That's all you need to go camping?" Lulu wondered.

"For one night," Johnny answered. "If I was really going to stay for awhile, I would need pots and pans to cook food in and probably a grill of some kind. A cooler to keep drinks and other things that need to be kept cold in."

"I didn't know that," Lulu replied, before shivering slightly.

"You're cold," Johnny accused.

"Just a little," Lulu responded.

"I should get you out of those wet clothes," Johnny said.

"What?" Lulu asked, wide-eyed.

"No that's not...I meant staying in the wet clothes will make you sick," Johnny explained. "You should put dry clothes on."

"Well, I didn't exactly bring anything with me," Lulu pointed out.

"You could wear something of mine," Johnny offered. "I always have more than one change of clothes in the car and I brought them with me in the bag. You can see what fits best."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Lulu questioned. "What about you? You're wet too."

"There is enough for both of us," Johnny assured her. "Change, I insist."

Lulu agreed and he handed her the options. All of the clothes would swallow her easily, so she chose the ones that looked the most comfortable. She thanked him and gave him back the rest. She started to change and then remembered she was with a stranger. He looked at her nervously.

"I can wait outside," he offered.

"No, you're not going back in the rain," Lulu argued. "We're both adults. I think we can handle me changing in here without it being awkward."

"Okay," Johnny agreed. "I'll just turn around."

"You should probably change to," Lulu commented. "You're almost as wet as I am."

"True," Johnny said with a laugh, before turning from her.

Lulu quickly stepped out of her wet clothes and into Johnny's sweat pants and sweat shirt. She instantly felt warmer and held back a contented sigh. She turned around to see Johnny still changing. He was halfway done, but his back was bare and Lulu was impressed. His muscles flexed as he pulled his shirt over his head and he turned back to Lulu. She closed her mouth, which had involuntarily fallen open while looking at Johnny and moved her eyes to the floor.

"See something you like?" he teased and she blushed.

"Do you camp often?" Lulu asked, trying to change the subject.

"Are you embarrassed about something?" Johnny questioned with a smirk.

"You didn't answer my question," Lulu replied.

"I've asked two that you haven't answered," Johnny countered.

"Who says I'm going to answer any of them?" Lulu asked.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Johnny wondered.

"Why do you keep asking me questions?" Lulu demanded and Johnny started laughing. "Again with the laughing at me."

"I'm sorry," Johnny responded. "It's just that I don't think I've ever known anyone like you."

"What does that mean?" Lulu questioned., shivering again.

"You're still cold," Johnny commented. "You should get in the sleeping bag."

"You only have one," Lulu reminded him. "I've already crashed your tent. I refuse to steal your sleeping bag too."

"I probably won't sleep anyway," Johnny assured her. "Take it, please."

"No way," Lulu replied, unable to stop herself from shivering again.

"Well," Johnny started and then looked down. "It's a pretty big sleeping bag. There's probably room for both of us. And given the fact that you're freezing, it may be a good idea to use body heat to get you warm."

"We don't even know each other," Lulu said skeptically.

"I promise not to try anything," Johnny said with a laugh.

"Maybe I will," Lulu countered.

"With the way you were looking at me earlier, it wouldn't surprise me," Johnny said, smirking and causing Lulu to blush.

"There is no way I'm sleeping next to a self-centered ass," Lulu said, feigning anger.

"Lucky for you, I'm a nice guy," Johnny replied. "Look, if you don't sleep in the sleeping bag, I won't either, which means a perfectly nice, warm sleeping bag would be wasted."

Lulu didn't know what to do. Almost every instinct she had told her to take the chance and get in the sleeping bag with Johnny. Her freezing cold skin was also rooting for that choice. However, her common sense was fighting to be heard and it was desperately trying to keep her away from the warmth of the sleeping bag. Her common sense lost.

"Okay," Lulu agreed. "I will share your sleeping bag with you."

Johnny smiled and unrolled the sleeping bag. She got in first and he followed. All of the coldness that was in her body was erased as Johnny put his arm around her to get comfortable. Although, normally she would have protested the action, she stayed quiet and snuggled slightly closer to Johnny's body. His head was resting on the pillow and hers was laying on his shoulder. She felt more at peace than she had in months and it scared her.

Why did she feel more comfort in the arms of a stranger than she had ever felt with any other man before?

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Something is wrong," Lucky said adamantly as Nikolas paced the living room at Wyndamere. "Logan came to my place looking for Lulu to apologize and I said I hadn't seen her. He accused me of lying and then stormed off. After that I called Lu to check on her and she didn't answer."

"What about Spinelli?" Nikolas wondered.

"I checked with him and he filled me in on what Logan did to Lulu," Lucky answered. "And by the way, once we find Lulu, we need to handle that."

"Agreed," Nikolas said nodding. "What about Carly? Or even Jason?"

"Carly was a dead end and she said that Jason would have told her if Lulu came to him," Lucky replied.

"You think she took off?" Nikolas questioned.

"Makes sense," Lucky admitted. "She's enough like Dad that if things got bad, she might just run."

"She couldn't have gotten far on foot in this weather," Nikolas commented.

"What are you thinking?" Lucky wondered.

"That if we're going to find her, we better get started," Nikolas said, glancing at his watch. "She's probably stationary as long as it's raining, but after that she'll start moving again. We have a lot of ground to cover and we need a lead."

"As much as I hate to admit it, we should find Spinelli," Lucky replied. "He can tell us where Lulu was headed the last time she was seen on one of the cameras around town."

"Let's go," Nikolas said, walking out the door with Lucky on his heels.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Johnny tried to ignore how great he felt. He didn't want to get used to the feeling and he certainly didn't want to let himself hope it would last. He could tell the rain had already lightened some and it was only a matter of time before it stopped completely. Lulu shifted slightly and he glanced down to see her staring up at him. He smiled shyly and she moved to face him more.

"What's wrong?" Johnny asked, hoping the answer was nothing.

"Why aren't you asleep?" Lulu wondered.

"I don't know, just thinking I guess," Johnny answered. "What about you?"

"Same," Lulu replied. "I'm not really tired."

"We could talk," Johnny offered. "That way we're not complete strangers anymore."

"What would we talk about?" Lulu questioned.

"What do you want to talk about?" Johnny countered.

"I want you to answer what I asked you earlier," Lulu responded.

"You'll have to be a little more specific," Johnny laughed.

"What did you mean when you said you've never known anyone like me?" Lulu wondered.

"That answer may take awhile," Johnny admitted.

"We seem to have time on our hands," Lulu stated.

"My life is full of people," Johnny started. "Mostly people I don't trust. A few I'm supposed to trust with my life, but I can't help but doubt. There have been three people that I have trusted. Two of them broke that trust and one died instilling it. My father and my sister are the first two. Both of them meant a lot to me and ended up abandoning me. My father, by losing his mind and my sister, by moving away. My mother is the one who died. She took a bullet that was meant for me and it killed her."

"If your father lost his mind, he isn't to blame for abandoning you," Lulu said softly. "I don't understand why you feel like he is."

"He lost his mind when my mother died," Johnny replied. "A time when I needed someone the most, he wasn't there. Then he shut himself off from the world, which I think is why he became so mentally unstable."

"Do you still see him?" Lulu wondered.

"Every day," Johnny answered. "I still live with him because he can't handle me not being there. He sees me as his only link to my mother and he is better if I'm around."

"Wow," Lulu said, blinking several times. "That is a long story, but it doesn't answer my question."

"I was getting there," Johnny laughed. "A little patience please."

Johnny almost disclosed the full truth about his father being the one to shoot his mother, but he kept that to himself. Aside from Trevor and Anthony, no one knew that Anthony had shot Maria and Johnny didn't think he could or should tell Lulu about it. That was a secret too dark for someone whose eyes shone so brightly.

"Anyway, for some reason I can't explain, I find myself trusting you," Johnny continued. "I naturally answer you honestly and share things with you that I usually keep to myself. I haven't really trusted someone in over fifteen years, but you, I do."

"But you have trusted people before," Lulu noted. "What makes me unlike anyone else?"

"You're the first blonde I've ever trusted," Johnny replied, laughing and Lulu rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you are the first stranger I've ever met that I've trusted instantly."

"Do you want to know something?" Lulu asked and Johnny nodded. "I kind of trust you too and that is strange for me. I normally don't trust people right away and I try to keep from trusting them at all because when I do, they usually betray me. But with you, it's like I know you and I have this feeling that you wouldn't hurt me. So, I trust you."

"I would never want to hurt you," Johnny responded. "Or see you hurt by anyone. Which leads me to a question I have for you."

"What?" Lulu asked.

"What are you running from?" Johnny wondered.


	5. Magic Moment

**Chapter 5 – Magic Moment**

Lulu was shocked. For some reason she never expected Johnny to ask her about what happened. She knew if she said she didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't press, but she did want to talk about it. She felt like she could tell Johnny anything and he would understand. He would probably say everything she needed to hear and he wouldn't judge her for any of her feelings. Lulu took a deep breath before speaking.

"Are you sure you want the answer to that?" Lulu breathed.

"Not if you don't want to tell me," Johnny replied. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"I trust you...it's just...I don't know," Lulu said softly. "I haven't told anyone about it yet. I don't even know where to start."

"Start from the beginning," Johnny encouraged. "Say as much or as little as you want and I'll listen."

Lulu knew Johnny was telling the truth. The problem was she didn't know what exactly the beginning was. Did she tell him about her father's feud with Scott? Or did she just say she was dating Logan and explain the details of the bet? She decided the history of her parents' love was too much for now. She met Johnny's eyes and the look there amazed her. His gaze held so much patience and kindness and he had begun to soothingly caress her arm.

"I guess it started with this guy," Lulu said with a sarcastic laugh. "You probably think I'm ridiculous for being so upset about a guy."

"I think if you're this upset whatever he did was bad," Johnny commented.

"Well, at first he was great," Lulu began. "Maybe not great, but good. I liked spending time with him and I thought that maybe I had finally found someone, you know? I ended up sleeping with him, which is not something I take lightly. That's when things went bad. It turns out that Logan, that's his name, made a bet that he could get me into bed."

"What?" Johnny asked and his jaw tensed.

"There is this other girl that I know," Lulu continued. "She not only hates me, but she has made it her personal mission to ruin my life. So Maxie, the one who hates me, made this bet with Logan. She told him if he could worm his way into my life and get me in his bed, she would sleep with him."

"And he went through with it?" Johnny guessed.

"Right," Lulu nodded and her eyes filled with tears. "Then he tried to hide it from me and Maxie got to be the one to throw it in my face."

Lulu felt all the pain come rushing back and she let herself cry. She sunk into Johnny and he held her tightly until she got all of her pain out. She didn't know how it was possible but she felt better. Just being in Johnny's arms made her feel safe and cared for, a feeling she never really experienced with anyone else. A feeling that scared her and she pulled away a little.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked with concern.

"I will be," Lulu answered. "I'm sorry I fell apart like that."

"You don't have to apologize to me," Johnny said sweetly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"I'm kind of used to going through bad things," Lulu responded. "You just have to learn from it and try to make better choices in the future."

"You're amazing," Johnny observed.

"What?" Lulu questioned.

"You've been through something really hurtful," Johnny explained. "Some jerk hurts you more than anyone as beautiful as you should be hurt and you aren't looking for pity like most people. You're just trying to move on and you're not letting the pain get you down."

Lulu couldn't breathe. Johnny was too good to be true and she really had nothing to say to his praise of her attitude. How could he think so much of her? And calling her beautiful. She had been in the rain for at least an hour and her hair was a mess. His sweats didn't exactly show off her body and she had been crying. Beautiful was not the word she would use to describe herself in this moment. She stayed quiet and didn't realize she was crying again.

"I'm sorry, Lulu," Johnny said, when he saw the tears. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, it's not your fault," Lulu assured him. "Well it is, but I'm not sad or anything."

"I'm confused," Johnny admitted.

"Me too," Lulu said. "You called me beautiful and I know I can't be right now. You said all these wonderful things to me and I don't deserve them. You don't know everything about me. Trust me, I probably deserved what Logan did."

"Never," Johnny replied. "No one deserves something like that. I may not know you too well but I know that it takes a resilient spirit to go through what you went through and come out stronger. And yes, Lulu. I think you're beautiful. I could never think anything else because your beauty is not just skin deep."

"Are you trying to make me cry again?" Lulu wondered.

"I'm trying to be honest, but maybe I shouldn't," Johnny answered. "I really don't like seeing you cry."

"Well maybe we should switch to a lighter subject matter," Lulu suggested.

"Okay, but one more thing," Johnny responded.

"What?" Lulu asked.

"If you need help with Logan you can call me," Johnny said with a smile. "I have a feeling I could keep him from hurting you again."

"It would be hard for me to call you without your number," Lulu observed.

"I'll have to make sure you get that then," Johnny said, smirking.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Mr. Lansing," the guard said into the phone. "We've got his car. It's abandoned and the rain has washed away any chance of us finding what direction he went."

"_Well what are you calling me for?_" Trevor boomed. "_I want you to find him, whatever it takes and bring him back by morning._"

"Yes, sir," the guard said before hanging up.

He looked at the car in front of him, having no idea which direction to go and wanting nothing more than to get out of the rain. He started his car and picked a direction, wondering how far away from the car Johnny had gone.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Johnny couldn't stop laughing. After Lulu had told him about Logan, who Johnny planned on tracking down and teaching a lesson, they had started telling funnier stories. Johnny had shared the story of his first arrest and Lulu had shared a story about stealing from her step mother. He had never felt so relaxed in his life and he was terrified of the time when the feeling would go away. He loved the feeling of Lulu's skin under his fingertips as he subconsciously ran his hand up and down her arm. The way it felt to have her laugh into his chest. He finally contained his laughter and looked at Lulu who was resting in his arms like the space was made for her.

"Alright, it's your turn," Lulu said, stifling her laughter. "Another story."

"What kind?" Johnny wondered. "Another being arrested story or one of just me on my own?"

"Hmm," Lulu thought. "Maybe one about your mom."

"I don't have a lot of memories about my mom," Johnny admitted. "None of the stories are entertaining."

"Not one of them?" Lulu questioned.

"Well, there was the first time I went camping," Johnny said with a smile. "My mom told me that she wanted to do something different. Get out of the house on a special getaway to a top secret place. She packed me up in the car and we drove to this clearing. I was little and I couldn't really do much but watch as she pitched the tent and made a fire."

"You're right that's not entertaining," Lulu mocked and Johnny rolled his eyes.

"What did I tell you about patience?" he asked, laughing. "Anyway, I was bored and she couldn't entertain me with nature walks or fishing-"

"Fishing?" Lulu questioned. "You've been fishing before?"

"Yes," Johnny answered warily and Lulu began laughing again. "What is so funny about that?"

"You just don't strike me as a fisherman," Lulu said between giggles.

"I'm not," Johnny admitted. "I never caught anything so I quit, but that's not the point."

"I'm sorry, continue," Lulu replied.

"So my mom cooked and then we watched the sun go behind the trees and the stars come out," Johnny continued. "I was young enough then that my bedtime was when it got dark in the summer time. So she tucked me in and I asked her to tell me a scary story before I went to sleep."

Johnny started to tell Lulu the scary story that his mom had told him as a child. She was engrossed in the story just as he had been when his mom first told it to him. He got to the climax of the story and looked to Lulu who was propped up on her elbow and leaning close to him.

"And the girl walked around the tree and the monster grabbed her," Johnny exclaimed.

As he finished, Johnny squeezed Lulu and made her scream. He then began tickling her mercilessly inside the sleeping bag. She squirmed and squealed and Johnny smiled and continued to tickle her until they were both out of breath from laughing so hard. As they settled their laughter Johnny took notice of their new position. Lulu had rolled on top of him and his hands had settled at her waist.

"Is that how your mom told you the story?" Lulu asked softly.

"She didn't want me to have bad dreams," Johnny answered in a whisper.

"What about you?" Lulu wondered. "How are you going to keep me from having bad dreams?"

Lulu's hands were resting on Johnny's shoulders and she stared into his eyes. He shifted his glance between her eyes and her lips, silently wondering if she wanted him to kiss her. She smiled softly and leaned down a little. He met her lips slowly and savored the way it felt to kiss the beautiful woman in his arms. He tightened his grip on her waist with one hand and the other worked its way into her hair. Her hands came to his face and she deepened the kiss. When he had to breathe, Johnny reluctantly pulled away and looked at Lulu whose eyes were still closed in what looked to him like pleasure. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled shyly at him.

"I don't think I'll have bad dreams now," Lulu breathed.

"Good," Johnny whispered before catching her lips again.


	6. Comfortable

**Chapter 6 – Comfortable**

"Spinelli, hurry up," Lucky demanded.

He and Nikolas had found Spinelli and issued him the task of finding Lulu. They had been sitting in Lucky's living room for over an hour and Spinelli still couldn't track her. Lucky was pacing and yelling at Spinelli and Nikolas was sitting calmly and trying to remember anything Lulu had ever told him that might be a clue as to where she was.

"Spinelli, you have to have something," Lucky begged.

"The Jackal has found the route the Blonde One took," Spinelli replied.

"Well where is she?" Nikolas wondered.

"The Jackal will be unable to provide the results that are sought," Spinelli answered. "Fair Lulu headed to the dangerous woods near the Overlook. Even the Assassin of the Internet can not penetrate the density to find the Blonde One."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Lucky questioned. "Comb the woods for hours to see if there is a chance she is still there?"

"The Jackal feels it is likely the Blonde One did not escape the Ferocious Forrest before the torrential downpour of the evening," Spinelli explained. "Perhaps he can search the nearest highways for information regarding those who have entered the woods most recently."

"Do that, Spinelli," Nikolas said softly.

Spinelli found footage of every highway that surrounded the woods. He watched hours of footage as cars drove by and did not stop or turn off. Finally, he watched a yellow car head into the woods. He froze the frame and wrote down the license plate. He continued to watch the film to wait for the exit of the yellow car, but it never came. However, a black sedan entered the woods and Spinelli retrieved the license plate number from it as well. After he finished with all of the footage, Spinelli traced the two cars and his results worried him.

"Both of the mysterious vehicles are most suspiciously registered to the Enemy Evildoers," Spinelli informed Nikolas and Lucky.

"English, Spinelli," Lucky said, annoyed.

"The infamous Zacchara family," Spinelli explained.

"The Zaccharas?" Lucky asked angrily. "What would they be doing so close to Port Charles?"

"Perhaps they sought to use the Blonde One as leverage against Mr. Sir," Spinelli suggested.

"I don't think they went looking for Lulu," Nikolas interjected. "But if they found her, she is in danger."

"Do you think they kidnapped her?" Lucky wondered.

"I think it is a definite possibility," Nikolas nodded.

"So what do we do?" Lucky questioned.

"We go to the woods," Nikolas answered. "And hope for the best."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lulu didn't know what had come over her. All of her reservations about relationships didn't seem to apply when it came to Johnny. She trusted him with her life in a matter of seconds and now she felt like she could trust him with her body. When she kissed him, it felt so natural. Like his lips had been made to caress hers. He had pulled back briefly and that had been her chance. If she was going to stop, that is when she should have done it. But she didn't.

She kissed him again and this time they hadn't stopped. Her hands were in his hair and his roamed her back holding her close. She wanted him and she could feel that he wanted her too. It was in the way his tongue moved with hers so passionately. The way he trailed his fingers over the exposed skin on her back. She ran her hands down his chest and around his back to the hem of his shirt. She broke her lips from his to kiss his neck.

"Lulu," Johnny breathed and Lulu tried to inch his shirt up his body.

Johnny suddenly pushed her off of him and climbed out of the sleeping bag. Lulu had obviously misread his actions and she felt so embarrassed and stupid for thinking someone as wonderful as Johnny would ever want her. She sat still in the sleeping bag and watched Johnny, who had his back to her. Lulu rolled in the sleeping bag to face away from him and closed her eyes tightly to keep the tears from falling.

She heard Johnny call her name, but Lulu didn't answer. She was deep in thought. Her mind trying to single in on the reason no one found her good enough. Starting with her father who hadn't found her worth staying for and the pattern had continued. Logan had wanted someone else all along and now Johnny was turning her away. She was broken from her thoughts as she felt Johnny enter the sleeping bag and place his arm around her.

"I'm really sorry," he whispered in her ear. "I know you don't understand and I don't know how to explain it to you."

"Don't apologize," Lulu replied, moving his arm. "It's not hard to understand. I shouldn't have thrown myself at you like that."

"Lulu, I didn't pull away because I don't want you," Johnny said, trying to get her to face him. "Will you look at me please?"

"What?" Lulu asked rolling onto her back and looking up at him.

"I want you, Lulu," Johnny admitted. "More than I've ever wanted someone. But I know that one night isn't enough. Especially not in these circumstances. I'm not a saint and I won't lie to you and say that I never have sex with girls the first night I meet them. I have done that on several occasions, but I refuse to do it with you. I don't know what's going to happen when we leave this tent. I don't know if we'll ever see each other again. I do know that if I ever get the chance to make love to you that's what I want it to be. Not some one night stand or someone you regret. You are different from anyone I've ever known and I want to treat you different. Please say you understand."

Lulu looked into his eyes and she knew he was telling the truth. She already cared about Johnny in a way that she never would have expected and he felt the same for her. She wanted more than one night with him, too. The only difference between them was he had more self-control. Lulu smiled and brought her hand to his face. He leaned his head into her touch and smiled.

"I do understand," Lulu replied. "And you're right, it wouldn't be right to sleep together now. But you are wrong about one thing."

"What's that?" Johnny wondered.

"We'll see each other again," Lulu said with a smile. "If I remember right, someone promised to give me their number."

"You still want my number?" Johnny questioned.

"Yes," Lulu nodded. "And one more thing."

"Anything," Johnny responded.

"Can you hold me again?" she asked.

"With pleasure," Johnny answered.

Johnny moved to get situated and Lulu curled into him once again. He immediately began running his hand up and down her arm and she relaxed. It was amazing how she could lay in the arms of a virtual stranger and feel so comfortable. Of course, Johnny wasn't really a stranger. She may not have known what his last name was or what his parents looked like or even what town he grew up in, but she knew him.

From spending a few hours together in a tent, she knew that he preferred the smell of onions to cantaloupe. That his favorite meal was his mom's spaghetti. That he would rather be alone in the woods than in his house with his family because he felt closer to his mom outdoors. Lulu knew that Johnny was a good, honest man and she knew he would protect her with his life if it came to it. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Johnny felt so comfortable. Lulu had fallen asleep in his arms and she was smiling in her sleep. He knew he had done the right thing by pulling away, but it hadn't been easy. Kissing Lulu was the most amazing feeling and he could only imagine how it would feel to be with her.

He continued to watch her sleep and he let himself dream. Dream about what it would be like to hold her like this every night. What it would be like to wake up to her smile. To get to know every detail about her and to kiss her. He wanted to be able to kiss her whenever he felt like it. He just wanted to be with her for as long as he could. A part of him felt ridiculous for feeling that way about someone he barely knew, but a bigger part of him knew he did know Lulu. Maybe not some of the things that most people would see as important like her age or her birthday.

But he knew that she could pick any lock she wanted to. That she liked to watch the sunset because it reminded her that there was always a new day coming and that she could start over when it came. That her favorite day of the week was Monday because everyone else hated it. He also knew that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on and that he would remember this day for the rest of his life as the day he changed for the better. He felt sleep coming and he pressed a light kiss to her hair and then rested his head against hers and closed his eyes.


	7. Only The Start

A/N – This is the last chapter in this story. It went by really fast and as always it is hard to let it go. Fortunately, this is only the beginning of a series of stories I plan to write. All the stories will be in the "take place in one night" format. I already have a general idea for the second night and I hope to get it out to you soon! Thank you for reading and reviewing this story and keep your eye out for more work from me in the future!

**Chapter 7 – Only The Start**

Lulu opened her eyes and couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. Sometime during the night she had somehow managed to get even closer to Johnny. One of her legs was thrown over Johnny's leg and her arm that had been resting on his chest was now gripping his upper body closer. She glanced up at Johnny who didn't seem to mind. He was still sleeping peacefully and a smile graced his handsome face. She loosened her grip on his upper body and moved so she could watch him sleep.

"What are you looking at?" Johnny asked with his eyes still closed.

"How did you know I was looking at you?" Lulu wondered.

"So, you're looking at me?" Johnny countered, opening his eyes. "I'm flattered."

"How did you know that I was awake?" Lulu questioned.

"Well, first your breathing changed," Johnny answered. "Then you moved a little and I realized you were adjusting to look at me. My turn to ask a question. Why were you looking at me?"

"I was just trying to see if you were awake," Lulu lied.

"Try again," Johnny laughed.

"Did you watch me sleep yesterday?" Lulu asked.

"Yes," Johnny admitted. "I watched you for awhile actually. So tell me the truth, why were you looking at me?"

"You seemed happy," Lulu answered. "I mean, you told me that you usually don't sleep well and I was just thinking that you seemed to be sleeping really well."

"I did," Johnny agreed. "I wonder why?"

Lulu blushed and Johnny smiled. He pushed her bangs out of her face and just stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. Lulu felt like Johnny was trying to memorize her face and she realized it had stopped raining. Looking in Johnny's eyes, she could tell that he was afraid of something. He really was worried he would never see her again.

"Johnny," Lulu whispered.

"I want to kiss you," Johnny breathed. "But I'm afraid if I start I won't be able to stop."

"Why is that a problem?" Lulu wondered. "Sounds good to me."

"Aren't you ready to go home?" Johnny asked.

"I guess," Lulu answered. "I'm not ready to face Logan or Maxie."

"I told you I'd take care of this Logan character," Johnny reminded her. "And don't worry about Maxie. You can take anyone."

"You think so?" Lulu questioned.

"I really do," Johnny affirmed.

"Do you want to go home?" Lulu asked.

"No," Johnny responded. "I never want to go home after escaping for a night. I want to be free."

"You will be one day," Lulu assured him. "But maybe we don't have to go home just yet."

"What do you mean?" Johnny asked.

"Maybe you can hold me a little longer and we'll just talk," Lulu suggested.

"I like that idea," Johnny agreed.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The guards slowly approached the tent. This must be where Johnny had been all night. They slowly approached the tent, but stopped when they heard something. They turned and saw two men they didn't recognize coming towards them.

"Who the hell are you?" Lucky demanded.

"We are Mr. Zacchara's body guards," the head guard answered. "And you are?"

"Looking for our sister," Lucky yelled.

"Why would she be here?" the head guard questioned. "This is Mr. Zacchara's tent."

"We have reason to believe that our sister is in these woods," Nikolas explained. "We were just looking at this tent as an option."

"And considering how your employer is known to be crazy," Lucky said with disgust. "It makes sense he would try to kidnap her."

"Lucky," Nikolas warned.

"No need to worry," the head guard spoke. "I'm sure no harm has come to your sister."

"I won't take your word for it if you don't mind," Lucky said condescendingly.

Lucky moved to the door of the tent and unzipped it. He went in first followed by Nikolas and the head guard. They looked around at the empty tent. The only thing there was an empty sleeping bag and a bag full of clothes. Lucky and the guard were irate, but Nikolas remained calm and tried to assess the situation.

"Obviously someone was here," Nikolas said. "And they are most likely coming back to get their stuff."

"So you think we should just wait until then?" Lucky asked.

"No, but they should," Nikolas answered pointing at the guard. "If this is Zacchara's tent, then it makes sense that he would come back here. We need to keep looking for Lulu because if she wasn't taken then she is still out here."

"Some guards will stay here and some will keeping looking," the guard said. "It is important we find Mr. Zacchara as soon as possible."

"If you find my sister?" Nikolas wondered.

"We will make sure she's released and sent home," the guard promised.

"How can we trust you?" Lucky questioned.

"It is in our best interest to retrieve Mr. Zacchara alone," the guard said firmly.

Nikolas nodded and shoved Lucky out of the tent. The guard began digging in the tent and found no indication as to where Johnny may have gone. Outside the tent, Nikolas and Lucky continued in the direction they had been going when they found the tent.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"That was close," Lulu said, out of breath from running.

"Sorry, we had to run," Johnny exhaled. "I just didn't want anyone from my family to see you."

"We're lucky we were awake," Lulu noted.

"True," Johnny agreed. "Are your clothes still wet?"

"A little," Lulu answered. "So this is your car?"

"It is," Johnny replied. "What do you think?"

"I think that I want to drive it," Lulu said with a smirk.

"Never going to happen," Johnny laughed. "I'm the only one who drives my car."

"I bet I could get you to let me drive," Lulu said flirtatiously.

"I think I'll take that bet sometime," Johnny replied with a smirk of his own.

"Why not now?" Lulu asked.

"Because now I have to go home and deal with my father," Johnny answered solemnly. "And you need to go home and show everyone how strong you are."

"Fine," Lulu relented. "But I need something first."

"I'm not letting you drive," Johnny laughed and Lulu rolled her eyes.

"No, but I promise you right now I will drive that car someday," Lulu said defiantly and it was Johnny's turn to roll his eyes. "What I need is your number."

"Do I get yours too?" Johnny wondered.

"No," Lulu replied simply, pulling out her phone.

"That's not fair," Johnny pouted.

"Who said I was going to be fair?" Lulu countered. "You promised me your number, I never agreed to give you mine."

Johnny could only laugh as he watched Lulu turn on her phone and listen to her messages. She looked annoyed at almost all of them and even disgusted at a few. He would give her his number, but he wasn't sure he could see her again. The last thing he wanted was to put her in danger and this morning's events with the guards reminded him of how real the danger was. He gave her his number when she asked for it and looked on as she punched it in and saved it.

"How many messages did you have?' Johnny asked.

"Twenty-seven," Lulu smiled. "Fifteen from family, six from a friend and six from the ass that caused me to leave in the first place."

"So I guess it's time to say goodbye," Johnny said softly.

"Not goodbye," Lulu insisted. "I didn't get your number for no reason."

"Lulu, you have to understand that it's dangerous to ever be seen with me," Johnny explained. "My father wouldn't like me being in contact with you very much and-"

"Would you like it?" Lulu cut in.

"Of course," Johnny responded. "But I'm not the danger to you."

"No, you're the one who would keep me safe," Lulu replied. "I trust you and you need to trust yourself."

"There's no arguing with you is there?" Johnny asked and Lulu shook her head. "Fine, but don't wait too long to call me."

"I won't," Lulu promised and paused before continuing. "Johnny, I really want to thank you for last night. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't found you."

"I'm the one who is thankful," Johnny said. "For one night you let me forget about all of the crazy things in my life. You gave me the opportunity to laugh and smile and just be happy. You listened to me and trusted me enough to let me listen to you. I can honestly say that last night was the most at peace I have been since my mother died and it's because of you. I know that you promised we'll see each other again, but if we never get that chance, I will always be grateful for last night. For having one night when it was just the two of us and the rest of the world didn't exist."

Johnny had not intended on pouring his heart out to her and he really hated that he made her cry, but he was hoping they were happy tears. Lulu moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around him and he held her tight. He pulled back wanting to look in her eyes to try to figure out what she was thinking. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You said before you wanted to kiss me," Lulu breathed. "Now would be a good time."

Johnny couldn't deny her and he didn't want to. He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he deepened the kiss. His hands came to her face and he wiped away the tears that were there. She slowly pulled back and he rested his forehead against hers.

"I have some self-control," Lulu muttered and he laughed.

"Today," Johnny said with a smirk and Lulu slapped his chest.

"Don't mock me," Lulu warned. "There will come a day where my self-control drives you crazy."

"I look forward to it," Johnny laughed again.

"I guess I should go," Lulu said softly.

"Me too," Johnny agreed.

"Are you going to give me a ride?" Lulu wondered.

"No, it wouldn't be safe," Johnny answered. "But I'll point you in the right direction. Since you don't know what that is."

"You are so funny," Lulu said sarcastically. "So, which way?"

Johnny smiled and pointed. Lulu rolled her eyes and gave him a small hug before heading towards Port Charles. Johnny watched her walk away, not once thinking of how much trouble he would be in when he got home. All he could think about was the next time he would see her and he now knew there would be a next time.

This was only the beginning.


End file.
